Color & Coiffure - Riccardo Maggiore Salons Hair and Beauty Blog

While warmer months have a few obvious beauty benefits (hello, summer skin!), heat can be horrible for your hair. Sun, chlorine, and salt water will take a toll on your strands. From protecting your color to maintaining moisture, one of the most frustrating dilemmas is frizz. We aren’t here to stigmatize the summer sizzle – if you love your frizz, keep it – but if you want a sleek look, here’s how we fight the good fight.

Begin by using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. If you have curly or coarse hair, shampoo every other day with a moisturizing formula. For those with fine hair and who may be skeptical about using moisturizing products on your tresses, Riccardo Maggiore's Carezza Shampoo is designed for frequent use. It won’t strip your hair of its natural moisture, and our Carezza Conditioner rinses away easily with no build-up.

If you’re still seeing frizz and not one to sit around long enough to do a hair mask, our Luminoso Anti-Frizz Drops are a great alternative. These drops seal the hair cuticles, offering a radiant shine while eliminating frizz and static electricity. Plus, they combine beautifully with gels without leaving hair greasy or sticky. Massage a few drops through your ends before reaching for your blow dryer. After drying, your hair will feel fabulous!

Carezza Shampoo, Carezza Conditioner and Luminoso Drops available at both Flatiron and Midtown Locations!

Today marks the Summer Solstice, the official First Day of Summer. When the weather is perfect outside, the last thing you want to do is waste time indoors getting your hair just right. While it’s tempting to pull your hair back in a ponytail or throw on a hat, we have some summer styling tips to save you time without sacrificing style.

Sea salt spray needs to be on your shelf. Unlike most styling products that weigh hair down and create a heavy, slick look, the goal of sea salt spray is to work with the hair’s natural texture. A good one adds volume, hold, and texture to flat hair without leaving a visible residue. One of our favorites is Kérastase’s Spray à Porter. It has micronized polymers for flexible movement and shape memory as well as antioxidants and UV protection.

If you’re completely new to sea salt spray, here’s how it works: the salt binds individual strands of hair together for added texture. The product will give you matte hair that moves without feeling greasy to the touch. These sprays work best in medium to long hair and are super effective as a pre-styling agent. If you want a product to “freeze” your hair in place, sea salt spray is not for you but if you want to get back to a natural look with a bit of control (think beach waves), then look no further.

How do you use sea salt spray? Start with freshly washed hair, pat dry, then apply the product to your hair and work completely into your hair using your hands. Grab your hair dryer – the goal here isn’t to just dry your hair, but lock in your particular style. Start at the root of your hair and blow in the direction of your chosen flow. We love drying the hair backwards, pushed back, but this product works for any style! While you dry, keep running your fingers through the hair to keep the process even.

If you’re air drying, apply the sea salt spray and scrunch the hair with your fingers for a few minutes. When your hair is dry and styled, you’re ready to go. Pro tip: less is definitely more. Use a pea sized amount of your styling product and focus on the roots of the hair. Too much product here will weigh hair down and remove the volume we’ve so effortlessly achieved.

That’s it! You’re done. Now go enjoy a natural, textured look that will last all day.

Hey guys, need a little grooming advice? Well, this post is just for you.

Men’s cuts continue to be cropped short on the sides and with more length on top and variations in fade and texture. We’re seeing everything from short and spiky to a longer quiff, styled back or combed over. Whatever your style, you'll need some product to achieve texture.

As we mentioned in our spring blog, summer is the time to switch from gel to a clay based hair product. One of our favorites is Oribe’s Rough Luxury Soft Molding Paste. Ultra-pliable, it slips easily through hair for texture, definition and shine and works with both short cuts and long layers. Plus it has UV protection for the summer months.

Okay, your hair is looking great, but what about your skin? Facials are a terrific way to maintain your skin at its best. Yes, they are incredibly relaxing and you will feel pampered, but you’ll also be doing some hardcore skincare work.

Your skin suffers daily from air pollution, grit, and dirt, all of which get into your pores and attack skin cells. The overall result can leave your skin looking dull with large, black pores and a visible increase in age.

A facial is a non-surgical way of renewing your skin; think of it as a factory reset for your face. The treatment is designed to remove the dirt and debris inside your pores, and provide your skin the nourishment it needs. Whether your skin is oily, suffering from dryness or a combination, the right facial can re-balance those skin conditions. You’ll leave with younger and healthier looking skin.

In addition to facials, our Flatiron team of estheticians specialize in men’s waxing, so it’s a one stop shop if hair removal is part of your lifestyle.

While there's been one wedding dominating the news for the past few weeks (Congratulations Meghan and Harry!), many more brides in the city are getting ready to say “I do” in the next few months.

Whether it’s a June wedding at the Plaza or at another one of NYC’s stunning venues, Riccardo Maggiore Salons are here to let New York brides delegate the task of beauty and presentation to our team of experts.

We want the Riccardo Maggiore bride to feel at ease when looking at her beauty checklist. We provide tailored wedding packages which can include beauty, hair, nail, wax and skin preparations for the multiple events leading up to the big day.

Prince George Ballroom, Photo Credit: Instagram,

We utilize our expertise to sit with the bride and listen to her vision, then work with her to make it a reality. We think of each of our brides as one-of-a-kind. Then we assist her in in creating a wedding package to fit her specific silhouette of thoughts and ideas. We take into account bridesmaids, groomsmen, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners ... the whole nine yards. We help brides realize the best version of themselves during the celebratory experience of a lifetime.

Cipriani, Photo Credit: Instagram

A wedding is not just a day. It’s a time to focus on oneself, on wellness, skin care and beauty.. it is a time to bring out the best version of YOU.

Platinum Pink Rose – Elle Fanning

Festival Rose – Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga fuses streaks of rose/peach/orange for a bold look that has become a trend within itself.

Auburn Dessert Rose – Rumer Willis

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rumer Willis’s Auburn Dessert Rose has just the right blend of fierce and fun.

Powder Puff Pink – Lucy Hale

Photo Credit: Instagram

This Pretty Little Liar knows how to elevate the Rose Gold trend. We love the matching lips and eye shadow in this playful and gorgeous look.

Final thoughts:

With any of these looks, you want to be sure you are maintaining your color and brilliance with the right products.

First, invest in a shampoo specifically for color treated hair. Owner Riccardo Maggiore says, “A good color shampoo will protect and won’t have harsh chemicals that strip your hair color.” A few of our favorites are Kerestase Bain Chromatique Riche from their Reflection Collection and Shampoo for Beautiful Color by Oribe.

Next, don’t forget to moisturize. You can use a daily color conditioner like Oribe’s Conditioner for Beautiful Color. We also recommend committing to a weekly at home deep conditioning mask such as Kerestase’s Masque Chromatique to deeply nourish and repair your hair’s vibrancy. Why is moisturizing the hair so important? Maggiore says, “Dry hair is more porous and will more easily absorb pollutants, chemicals, and saltwater.” To protect your hair, wet it first and then apply a leave in treatment and style as usual or leave wet when heading to the beach or pool. Our clients love Riccardo Maggiore’s Rinnova as it is infused with vitamins and botanicals and also features UV protection.

We hope this series has given you some inspiration and showed you the variety of Rose Gold options and shades that are possible to create some fresh beauty for your lifestyle. Our color experts at both Riccardo Maggiore locations are ready to make your Rose Gold dreams come true.

The rarest of all hair colors, redheads already know a thing or two about standing out. Adding Rose Gold to this already unique look can be a truly head turning transformation. Riccardo Maggiore Color Expert and "Redhead Guru" at both Flatiron and Midtown locations Marcus Garcia states, “Of all the shades, redheads are the most stunning and you can’t help but look at them." He says, "Rose gold is a great color option for redheads who want a change while keeping their hair red."

As Rose Gold already falls on the spectrum of red hair, it will take less effort to achieve this look for redheads. Riccardo Maggiore Color Expert Nancy Schreiber says she "Would still balayage or highlight on a redhead but there is less lifting in the process."

The result can be downright dazzling as in this glamorous Ginger Peach color.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Garcia also says that "Fair skinned or 'peaches and cream' complexions usually make the best redheads." Natural redheads will also find they have a complexion perfectly suited for a rose gold look. Tints of metallic pink can diffuse seamlessly into a fiery hair color. Metallic Rose can be a beautifully subtle look that even celebrities like Emma Roberts can’t resist.

And speaking of celebrities - our final blog next week will celebrate some of the music, film, and fashion icons who have embraced the Rose Gold hair color trend. Plus, some tips on products to maintain your Rose Gold look. Don’t miss it!

We’ve discussed how blonde hair makes an excellent foundation for a rose gold look. But blondes aren’t the only ones getting in on this trend and there are plenty of gorgeous shades at the darker end of the spectrum.

As with blondes, the first step is to address the base color. Riccardo Maggiore Hair Color Expert Sandra Yu says, “For darker brunettes, this means lightening the hair with highlights or balayage depending on the desired effect.” Lighter brunettes could skip this stage. Next, an overall toner is applied. This could be more reddish or pink depending on the look you want to achieve. Leaving the color on longer will produce more dramatic results and a longer lasting color. We call this one Chocolate Mauve.

Photo: Pinterest

Another process might involve taking irregular sections of the hair and for more of a balayage effect. In the same way, you can customize the outcome by varying the shade and processing time. This lovely look is Chocolate Rose.

Photo: Pinterest

You could also add more colors for a multi tonal Rose Gold effect like this Espresso Rose.

Photo: Pinterest

Riccardo Maggiore Color Expert Bruce Conroy recommends using an Olaplex treatment during the process “To nourish the hair and ensure best results”.

As you can see, brunette hair can produce some stunning results in the Rose Gold palate and we hope this has inspired you to add some Chocolate Mauve or Espresso Rose richness to your look.

Redheads, don’t think we’ve forgotten you. Our next post will look at Rose Gold for Redheads. Join us next week!

Blonde hair is a complimentary foundation to a rose gold look. Rose gold will appear more easily on blonde hair in the same way a rose blush will show more clearly on a lighter skin tone.

It’s also a fabulous look for the change of the season .“Rose Gold color is a good entry way into spring since it will warm up your hair from winter tones,” says Color Expert Sam Alter.

And it doesn’t have to be too complicated. According to Alter, “Most existing blondes can be easily directed toward a rose gold color.”

The first step in the process is to tone the hair gold and then overlay the rose gold color. There are a number of ways to achieve this, mixing a very light blonde/red gold with a medium blonde/red gold. With pastels, you might add a pink to a gold. The foundation could be lightened through highlights or adjusted through a glaze depending on your existing shade.

For platinum blondes we recommend "Subtle & Fresh”.

Wella Color Professionals

Mermaid Rose takes it up a notch for a more decidedly daring look.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

For blondes on the darker side we recommend "Strawberry Rose". This versatile look is very popular as it is both natural and stunning.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Calling all Brunettes, the next blog post is for you. stay tuned as we discuss the most appropriate hair transformations for a darker hair type.

From unicorn hair to a perfectly executed stencil, we’ve seen hairstyles go to extremes recently. However, the rose gold look is a trend we can get behind and our clients are just as excited as we are!

Rose gold is the perfect hair trend as you can go as light or dark as you please. It caters to each individual, functioning as a universal color through which one can play with the textures & warmth.

Clients with varied hair types all ask for a different take on this gorgeous look. Most are enthused about undergoing a transformation but they don’t want to deal with maintenance or believe the look might not suit their lifestyle. What they don’t know is that there is a perfect rose gold for every hair type. Rather than experiencing a drastic transformation some will ask hairstylists to tweak their hair with slight tints of blonde and pink to make their own rose gold hair flair.

Owner Riccardo Maggiore: “Rose gold is a look that can be personalized according to your skin tone and natural shade of hair. Adjusting size of the sections and the style of application you can achieve the look you want whether it is bold or subtle.”

Welcome to the Rose Gold Series, a sequence of blog entries which will explore this prominent color trend in depth. First on the list…blonde hair! In the next post we’ll be exploring some of the most popular blonde variations; Subtle & Fresh (for all you Platinums out there), Strawberry Rose and Mermaid Flair. We’ll also be asking our team of experts how to achieve these fabulous looks. Stay tuned!

After a winter of bomb cyclones, thunder snow and bitter cold temperatures, we are ready for spring and all that it holds. We look forward to longer days, warmer weather, buds and leaves on trees and drab colors giving way to brighter ones. As the city takes on a new look, it's time to think about your own beauty transformation.

Hairstyle

Sleek, straight hairstyles may have ruled the red carpet recently but when it comes to everyday beauty for your lifestyle, we’re seeing a little more body and texture. Embrace those natural curls and waves and find a cut that will enhance them. Soft waves look great with longer layers and we’re loving curly hair with bangs, a trend that just keeps on climbing.

Even if your hair doesn’t naturally have a ton of body, your look doesn’t have to be flat. Start with a solid silhouette and build in some light layering which will give you movement and volume. Whatever your hair type and texture, make sure you talk to your stylist to find a cut and products that work with your face shape and lifestyle.

In general it’s time to start warming up your color as we head into warmer months. Address any unwanted brassiness with a toner and get your hair shades back in harmony. It’s a great time to get a gloss color to give your hair an added glow.

Balayage-inspired looks continue to dominate the color scene. Starting with a realistic base and adding a vibrant color on top means you’ll see less regrowth and won’t have to rush back to the salon for a touch up. Blondes have been rocking the Rose Gold look for awhile but we love the and we love the brunette version of this trend - Chocolate Rose. With a rich brown base and reddish pink highlights painted on top, this look is both fun and elegant.

If you’re feeling a little more bold this spring, the spectrum of shades is really as endless as your imagination. So don't be afraid to live in color!

Product

If you spent the winter taking hot showers & pumping up the heat, chances are your hair will need some help to repair and recover from moisture loss. A recent New York Times article recommends Oribe Gold Lust Pre Shampoo Intense to replenish moisture and we have to agree. This rejuvenating pre-shampoo treatment balm melts into hair, moisturizing deeply and repairing as it protects against harsh aggressors such as washing, styling and pollution. Restores strength softness and shine and are restored. Apply to dry hair (mid-shaft to ends) and leave on 20 minutes before shampooing. Use once a week for best results.

Since spring is the rainy season, we also recommend a product to protect your hair from the elements. If you regularly blow-dry your hair, you’ll want to pick up Kerastase Discipline Keratine Thermique. This hair-smoothing leave-in styling treatment smooths frizz and fly-aways with humidity protection and restores inner flexibility. Apply it to towel-dried hair and then detangle before heat styling.

Hot product tip for men - use a gel based product in the winter and spring and switch to a clay based product in the summer. You don’t want to use a gel in the summer when you’re adding sweat to the mix but it adds a nice shine in the winter months Be sure to run fingers through the gel to break it up before it dries. A clay isn’t quite as stiff but will still give you the control you need.